iasoka Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Hi, I recently bought Epiphone les paul special ii GT. I found the string level is not level. D string is very high and lower E is very low. Please tell me how to adjust it with the Tune-o-Magic Bridge. Can I do it myself or do I have to take it to the service centre? I preferred to do it myself because I’m a student I don’t have money to pay for it.Is there any measurement for string heights? Please help me to solve this problem. Many Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Welcome to the forums, great bunch around here, I hope you like the place. When you say the lower E is sitting low, do you mean the thin or thick E, because lower means different things to different people. It'd be strange if the thicker E is low and the D is high as they're both on the bass side of the bridge, main thing I can think of off hand is that the D string isn't sitting in it's groove on the saddle properly, that may be worth checking. If possible could you post some pics of the bridge area. Info on how to post pics, as well as most guitar repair/modification/maintenance advice can be found in the DIY thread pinned to the top of the Epi Lounge, thanks to animalfarm who compiled and maintains it. DIY Thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjael Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 When you say the lower E is sitting low, do you mean the thin or thick E, because lower means different things to different people. It'd be strange if the thicker E is low and the D is high as they're both on the bass side of the bridge, main thing I can think of off hand is that the D string isn't sitting in it's groove on the saddle properly, that may be worth checking. If possible could you post some pics of the bridge area. Don't forget the Special II GT has a strat-style trem. Independent string-height adjustment and all. Although the OP does mention a tune-o-matic. Dun dun dunnnn. In any case, you can do it yourself. You'll just need to do a little (teensy tiny bit of) research so you know how. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Don't forget the Special II GT has a strat-style trem. Du-oh, dumbarse me. Though the mention of the tune-o-matic is confusing, hopefully the OP will post some pics, which will clear things up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocknRollFun Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Hmm, was hoping OP would reply. My Special II [no tremolo/just the tune-o-matic bridge] is about 2 months old. Playing is fine as far as this noob can tell, but the low E and the A strings get some buzz/rattle if you strum remotely hard and are playing an open string or especially if you're playing one of the first three frets. I would like to have mine professionally adjusted; In the meantime, I wouldn't mind tinkering with it. I won't touch the truss rod, but I did raise the bridge up on the low E side. Didn't quite get it though, so it probably needs the TLC I haven't quite acquired yet. [Totally new at tune-o bridges and pretty inexperienced in everything else... guitar related, that is. ;)] I'll comb over the DIY thread link! Thanks BTW I love this forum. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocknRollFun Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 oops, double post and I accidentally gave myself a negative rep, haha. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 and I accidentally gave myself a negative rep, haha. Fixed mate. Welcome to the forums. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iasoka Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 hi all Thank you so much for the reply and great advise. This Forum is great and so helpfull. i will post my pics today. im so sorry for the late reply. Many Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iasoka Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hi, This is some pics of my guitar. please have a look and give me some advise please. does this Strings has to be in same level? is this string level normal? Many Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 That A and D saddle are far too high, the D in particular. To adjust the height on them you use the two allen screws either side of each string (there should have been a small allen key that came with the guitar), turn CCW to go down and CW to go up. What I do to adjust the height is adjust them down until the string just starts to buzz on the frets at normal picking force, then raise it until there's only the slightest hint of buzz when picking very hard, a bit harder than the hardest you would normally play. - Before adjusting a saddle, make sure the corresponding string has been slackened, then re-tune and test, do this as many times as necessary until the proper height is achieved. - You have to turn one screw each side of the string you're working on about half a turn at a time, then do the same for the screw on the other side of the string, it's important to try and keep the saddle reasonably level side to side (so that it's not tilting over), when you've finished adjusting a string you want the saddle to be fairly level (side to side, not back to front). - Do each string in turn, starting at the low E (thickest) and working up to the high E (thinnest), it's no use just doing one or two, you want them all adjusted so they are just starting to buzz under heavy picking. I'm terrible at describing things, so if any of the above makes no sense don't be afraid to ask for clarification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iasoka Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 thanks for the reply. im new to electric guitar and sorry to be a real dumb :( could you please tell me can i adujst the strings same level without buzzing. i like LOW Action. cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 If you use the method I described above you'll get a low action, about as low as you can get it, without getting into neck adjustment and fret levelling etc, which is.a far more advanced job. Best off doing each string in turn, starting with the low E (the thickest string) and working your way through all of them in turn, and finishing on the top E (thinnest). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Like a Strat Trem, there's a "radius" (a gentle arc of the string saddles) that needs to be adjusted. Your best bet is to either extensively research it before you mess with that...you don't want to alter the radius as it co-incides with the necks radius also, if you set them all straight, and the necks got that gentle arc I spoke of, you'll have problems all over the neck with buzzing strings. Be careful, that's a Strat type Trem, not a Tuneamatic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Like a Strat Trem, there's a "radius" (a gentle arc of the string saddles) that needs to be adjusted. Your best bet is to either extensively research it before you mess with that...you don't want to alter the radius as it co-incides with the necks radius also, if you set them all straight, and the necks got that gentle arc I spoke of, you'll have problems all over the neck with buzzing strings. Be careful, that's a Strat type Trem, not a Tuneamatic. Mat, if you use the method I mentioned the radius will be spot on when you're finished, you're using the frets to judge the height of each string. If you look at it now it has nothing like the radius of the fretboard translated to the saddles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I'm tying to keep the explanation as simple to follow as I can, I'm trying not to confuse the issue with too much tech talk at this stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Yeah, this Squier I got, I had to lower all the saddles (identical bridge to the Epi) taking care not to alter that arc I talked about. If you look at the picture of his, it's ALL out of kilter. StewMac sells a radius guage that's extremely helpful in situations like this, the radius for most Strat Trems is 12", although that's not the standard. You should ask the shop you bought the guitar at what the string radius is, or "eyeball" it like Rastus suggested. Take the guitar, and from the bridge, look down the neck, and see if the frets are curved (they probably are). When you adjust those saddles, you have to match that curve, if you don't, if the guitars even playable at all, it's gonna buzz everywhere. I'm not sure of the string height (action)...3/64???? Not sure there, but even if you get the radius right, you don't want the height too low, or it'll buzz. Lotta variables to consider... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Yeah, this Squier I got, I had to lower all the saddles (identical bridge to the Epi) taking care not to alter that arc I talked about. If you look at the picture of his, it's ALL out of kilter. StewMac sells a radius guage that's extremely helpful in situations like this, the radius for most Strat Trems is 12", although that's not the standard. You should ask the shop you bought the guitar at what the string radius is, or "eyeball" it like Rastus suggested. Take the guitar, and from the bridge, look down the neck, and see if the frets are curved (they probably are). When you adjust those saddles, you have to match that curve, if you don't, if the guitars even playable at all, it's gonna buzz everywhere. I'm not sure of the string height (action)...3/64???? Not sure there, but even if you get the radius right, you don't want the height too low, or it'll buzz. Lotta variables to consider... But you don't need radius gauges or such to get the correct radius, if you adjust each string individually so that the distance above the fret is reasonably uniform, then that radius will be there automatically. The reasonably uniform height above the frets is achieved by adjusting each string so that is just buzzes when picked pretty hard (a little harder than the hardest you would normally play it), this method also takes into account the different amount that each string actually vibrates, the low E will be higher off the frets than the high E because it vibrates more. There's absolutely no eyeballing involved or radius gauge needed, it's all done by the strings themselves. When I was talking of keeping the saddle level, I meant each individual saddle, not all of them as a whole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 That A and D saddle are far too high, the D in particular. To adjust the height on them you use the two allen screws either side of each string (there should have been a small allen key that came with the guitar), turn CCW to go down and CW to go up. What I do to adjust the height is adjust them down until the string just starts to buzz on the frets at normal picking force, then raise it until there's only the slightest hint of buzz when picking very hard, a bit harder than the hardest you would normally play. - Before adjusting a saddle, make sure the corresponding string has been slackened, then re-tune and test, do this as many times as necessary until the proper height is achieved. - You have to turn one screw each side of the string you're working on about half a turn at a time, then do the same for the screw on the other side of the string, it's important to try and keep the saddle reasonably level side to side (so that it's not tilting over), when you've finished adjusting a string you want the saddle to be fairly level (side to side, not back to front). - Do each string in turn, starting at the low E (thickest) and working up to the high E (thinnest), it's no use just doing one or two, you want them all adjusted so they are just starting to buzz under heavy picking. I'm terrible at describing things, so if any of the above makes no sense don't be afraid to ask for clarification. I'll just repost the method because it got lost way up in the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iasoka Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 thank you so much for the advice all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 thank you so much for the advice all! How did you get on, did you manage to adjust the saddles and fix the problem ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrocks Posted June 26, 2021 Share Posted June 26, 2021 Very good advice RaSTuS, that is exactly the way I do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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